Knockdown bench and table structure



F. BOKAN KNOCKDOWN BENCH AND TABLE STRUCTURE Feb. 7 v

Filed Feb. 6, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1

Feb 229 F. BOKAN KNOCKDOWN BENCH AND TABLE STRUCTURE Filed Feb.6, 1925' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 V Patented Feb. 22, 1927.-

. 1,618,803 PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK BOKAN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

' My invention relates to knock-down bench and table structures for picnic grounds,

parks, halls, meeting places and like places,

which when no longer required for their intended purpose, the structures can be readily and 'quickly disassembled so that a large number of structures can be packed or stored away in piles in comparatively small places in buildings, or other places, and, it is a dis-'- tinct and practical improvement to overcome certainp'ractical objections to, and defects in, the present types of knock-down bench and table structuresi An object of my invention is to provide carrying frames applicable to either bench or table structures.

A further object is to provide novelmeans for supporting a back restwhen a bench structure is desired. f

A further object is to provide-a cover member usable as a bench seat or table top which is quickly andreadily attachable from the carrying frames- 7 f A further object is to provide quick detachable bracing means carried by a strengthening rib hinged to the underside of seat body.

the-bench seat or table top member.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel knock-down benchv and table structure, which will possess advantages in points of simplicity, efficiency, durability, and, at the same time prove itself very practical in use and comparatively inexpensive in manufacture.

l/Vith the above and other objects in View,

the invention consists in the novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter more fully described and finally pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

' Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, wherein legs and back rest supports. Fig. 4, is a perspective view, partly broken away, showing a center sillattached to the Fig. 5, is a perspective view of one of. the bracing members connecting the seat 1 $111 with the carrying, or supporting frames.

KNoeKDowN BENCH AND TABLE STRUCTURE.

Application filed February 6, 1925. Serial No. 7,252.

. Fig. 6, is a detached perspective view of the fixed clamping jaws and their componentslidable member.

Fig.7, is a sectional view of the seat body and sill member in hinged relation.

Fig. 8, is a perspective view of the upper end of one of the back rest supports showing the hook member for supporting a horizontally disposed back rest member.

Fig. 9, is a rear View of the back rest member showing the means thereof for attachment with the hook member of the back rest supports. I

Fig. 10, is a section through 10-10 of Fig. 2, showing the sliding and fastening devices of the angular shaped leg members and the vertical standards.

Fig. 11 is a modified form of Fig. 1, show ing the converting features of a bench into a table.

- Fig. 12 is a sectional detail view'of a table support. I

n In carrying out the aim of my present invention, I employ a plurality of carrying frame structures 1, each comprising a pair of angularly positioned legs 2 connected by ,means of horizontally" disposed lower and perface with a transverse groove, or socket 5 adapted to engagingly receive a longitudinally disposed center sill member 6 connect'ed to the underfaceof a removable seat body 7 by means of suitable hinges 7. This arrangement prevents lateral displacementof the seat body upon'the rails of the carrying frames 1. q 7

To more firmly hold the carrying frame members 1 in rigid and spaced alignment with each other, I employ a plurality of brace bars 8, each having the upper beveled end 9. Theunderface 10 of each brace bar Sis provided adjacent its upper beveled end 'with a suitably angular strap bracket 11 for i'emovably connecting the brace bars with the sills 6 by means i of suitable fastening devices 12. The opposite or lower ends of the brace bars 8 are each provided with a fastening member 13 fixed in a longitudi nally disposed bifurcation 14 thereof. Each fastening member 13 is provided at its free or lower end with a curved or hooks'haped 16 secured to the inner face of the connecting rails 2? of the carrying frame 1.

The reference numeral 17 represents a plurality of back rest supports each having its lower inner face beveled, as at 18, for engagement with the rear face of the rear supporting leg 2 of each carrying frame 1. A pair of suitable U-shaped socket members 19 are fixed in opposed relation to the side faces of the rear legs2 of each carrying frame 1 and they slid-ably receive and sup port the arms of the U-shaped clamp member 20, which have their free ends bent out wardly and away from each other to provide stops EZlto limit rearward sliding movement of the clamp member 20 by coming into engagement with the front faces of thesocket members 19. The clamp member E30, it will be observed, provides sockets through which the back rest supports 17 pass and are guided and supported, as shown in Fig. 3. To further guide and support the back rest supportslT, I provide the rear face of the rear leg 2 of each carrying frame .1 adjacent the socket members 19 with an outwardly directed suitable guide pin for sliding engagement in a groove 23 in the beveled face 18 of each back rest support 17, as shown in Fig. 10. y

it back rest rail 21 is removably carried and supported by the back rest supports 17. The back rest rail 24 is provided in its rear face with a cutaway portion and is covered with a plate 26 fixed to the back rest rail 24 by means of suitable fastening devices 27 to provide a. socket. Suitably fixed to the front face of eachback rest support 1? is an angular bracket or support 28, the upper end of which is receivable in one of the cutaway portions, or sockets of back rest rail for supporting the same holding it against displacement 111 any direction, excepting upward displacement for removing the back rest rail from its supports.

lVhen the back restsupports 17 are not used, such as when the bench is used as a table, the clamp members 20 are moved forwardly to their closed positions from their rearward or open position, thus they are out of the way of any oneseated opposite the rear le of any of the carrying frames 1.

In higures 11 and 12, I have shown a modified form of the invention comprising but a part of the herein described structural elements. In this form of structure, which is suitable for a table, it optional as to whether the carrying frames have converging legs as shown in Fig. 1, or whether they are in spaced parallelrelation, as shown in Figs 11 and 12. Also it is optional whether or not there is one boar-d7 employed to act as a table top, or whether there. are two boards 7 employed for the urpose as shown in Fig. 11. 1 Also in the its 'ile structure, the brace members 8.11151) be dispensed with when desired, as shown in Fig. 11. hen there are two boards 7 used for a table top or for a bench seat; in lieu of one, it is evident that the rails 1 are each provided with two sills receiving sockets 5 instead of one, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

From the foregoingdescription, it is evident that the device, when assembled, can be easily and quickly, without the aid of tools, he knocked down or disassembled and the several parts can be individually and advantageously stored in piles in a much smaller space than when the structure is stored in its assembled relation. ing-down of the device an be quickly accomplished by first removing the back rest rail Qqthen the supports '17, nextthe brace bars 8 and finally lifting the body or board 7 fromengagement with the carrying frames 1. The brace bars 8 being hinged as at 7, it will be observed that one side face of the sill 6 folds into contact with the lower face of board 7 which also causes the brace bars 8 to lie in engagement with the lower face of the board 7 thereby providing a flat unit of the=board 7, sill Gand brace balsS.

Theassemblingof the deviceis equally as quick and easy as the disassembling of the device,and1 is readily accomplished by mounting the board? upon the spaced carrying frames 1, positioning the supports 17 in the clamps 20 and by attaching thebaek rest rail to thesupports 17. In the table The knockstructure, however, the positioning of the back rest, supports, the ibaolcrestlrail; and the brace bars are eliminated, thus making it necessary only to mount the board or boards 7 upon the carrying; frames.

The many advantages of the herein described invention will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art to which itappertains. y r a I do not wish to be understood as having limited myself tothe exactdetails of constructionshown and described, but desire to have it understood that the invention I have shown in the drawings is merely illustrative, as it is manifest thatvarious minor changes may be made in the form, shape and particular arrangement of parts without departing from :the spirit of. my invention,

hence I reserve the right to make any such changesor modifications. as may fairly fall within the scope of the appended claim when fairly construed. a

What I claim is: y

In a knock down bench and table structure. a plurality of equally spaced supporting leg frames each having a recess in the upper face of the upper memberthereof, a board member. resting upon the upper momber of each supporting leg frame, a rib fixed to the under face of said boardmember and engaging in the recesses of the upper members of the leg supporting 'lrames; angularly disposed brace members fixed to the underface of the rib, an eyelet fixed to each frame member and each brace member having a curved lower end for engagement with the eyelet of its respective supporting leg frame, a U-shaped socket member fixed to opposite sides of one of the leg members of each supporting leg frame near the upper end thereof, a U-shaped clamp member slidably supported by the U-shaped socket members of each leg frame, a back rest support detachably supported at its lower end by each of said ueshaped clamp members and a back rest rail detachably connected to veach of the back rest supports.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto slgned my name .to the speclficatlon.

FRANK BOKAN. 

